September 25, 2012 | Morning Headlines.
Parliament meets for the first time since election of new president
24 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 110 words
Somalia’s parliament yesterday met in Mogadishu, the first time since the recent historic presidential election where members elected a new president in 42 years. In a session attended by 200 MPs, the parliament discussed a range of issues including the nomination of parliamentary sub-committees and the security of the lawmakers among other issues.
Key Headlines
- Critical wing of Somali militants turns for talks (Radio Kulmiye)
- Kenyan’s massacre against Somali civilians is under investigation (Shabelle)
- KDF airlifts water to troops as wells poisoned (The Star)
- Defected militants paraded in Mogadishu (Bar-Kulan)
- Kenyan soldier probed for killing 6 in Somalia (AP)
SOMALI MEDIA
Parliament meets for the first time since election of new president
24 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan – 110 words
Somalia’s parliament yesterday met in Mogadishu, the first time since the recent historic presidential election where members elected a new president in 42 years. In a session attended by 200 MPs, the parliament discussed a range of issues including the nomination of parliamentary sub-committees and the security of the lawmakers among other issues.
Critical wing of Somali militants turns for talks
24 Sept- Source: Radio Kulmiye/Jowhar Online- 70 words
Somali’s critical wing of Islamist militants formerly known as Hisbul Islam turns in to talks with the Somali government. Officials of the group said they are starting talks with the government to reach a viable governance and renounce years of violence.
Kenyan’s massacre against Somali civilians is under investigation
24 Sept – Source: Shabelle – 95 words
At least nine innocent civilians were massacred by the Kenyan military in southern Somali village on Sunday, reports said. The shooting happened in Janay Abdalla, a small village located just about 50km from the militant-held port city of Kismayo, when al Shabaab fighters attacked the allied forces in the area.
Defected militants paraded in Mogadishu
24 Sept – Source: Bar-kulan/VOA Somali Sevrice – 107 words
The Somali government on Monday paraded 260 alleged al Shabaab defectors at Maslah military camp after they gave themselves up to the government soldiers in Bal’ad on Saturday. Addressing the defectors, Commander of the Somali national army Gen. Abdikarin Yussuf Dego-badan promised to provide them necessary security.
Protesters rally in Mogadishu to condemn anti-Islam film
24 Sept- Source: Radio Kulmiye/Radio Mustaqbal- 64 words
Protests took place in Mogadishu to condemn anti Islam film produced in the United States of America. Similar protests against the film have been taking place in across the Muslim and Arab world.
REGIONAL MEDIA
KDF disarms soldier after Somalia civilian deaths
24 Sept – Source: Capital News/Standard- 110 words
A Kenyan soldier fighting in Somalia has been arrested after he shot and killed six civilians under unclear circumstances in Jana Cabdalla region. The incident occurred shortly after five other civilians were killed during a gun fight between the Al Shabaab and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers in the region, the military headquarters in Nairobi said. Military spokesman Cyrus Oguna said the Kenyan soldier shot the six civilians when people were seen approaching a defensive position.
KDF airlifts water to troops as wells poisoned
24 Sept- Source: Star- 421 words
Senior Kenya Defence Force officials were over the weekend forced to airlift water and food supplies to troops marching towards Kismayu after Al Shabaab insurgent fighters dropped poison in one well and vandalised pipes from another in Jana Cabdalla area forty kilometers to the port city.
Military helicopters and vehicles were dispatched to Jana Cabdalla to supply water to troops in three sections of the frontline after the Al Qaeda linked insurgents desperate to stop the AMISOM march to Kismayu poisoned wells.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Kenyan soldier probed for killing 6 in Somalia
24 Sept- Source: AP- 123 words
An official says a Kenyan soldier is being investigated for allegedly shooting to death six people believed to be civilians caught up in the ongoing battle between allied African troops and extremist insurgents in Somalia.
Kenya’s military spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna said Monday that the soldier allegedly fired at a group of people on Sunday who approached a Kenyan army defensive position in the southern town of Jana Cabdalla. Kenyan troops recently captured Jana Cabdalla from al-Shabab rebels.
Kenya’s army is part of the African Union force supporting Somalia’s internationally backed government that is battling an insurgency from al-Shabab which is affiliated to al-Qaida. Somalia has been in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and then turned on each other.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Somalia has a new constitution, parliament and president, raising hopes it will finally shed its “failed state” title.”
Somalia in Transition
24 Sept – Source: Aljazeera English – 210 Words
In recent months, African Union, Kenyan, and Ethiopian troops, alongside a coalition of Somali militia, have “liberated” many major towns from the al-Shabab militia.
Al-Shabab has shown little resistance, strategically abandoning its former bases and training camps, and adopting guerrilla tactics in the face of larger and better-equipped armies. Though many towns have been cleared of the militants, the bush in between remains insecure.